Calderwood plans 'major rebuilding'

JIMMY Calderwood, the Aberdeen manager, has threatened a mass summer clear-out following Sunday's 3-1 defeat at Kilmarnock.

The Pittodrie club were well beaten at Rugby Park as Kilmarnock secured their first Clydesdale Bank Premier League win since Boxing Day. The defeat left Aberdeen in ninth place in the SPL and they have now conceded 22 goals in their past six games.

Frustrated Calderwood, who is almost four years into his spell at Aberdeen and recently signed a new contract at the club, is now considering getting rid of a whole team of players.

"It's now quite clear I have a major rebuilding job on my hands," he said. "We've set high standards, but they have slipped drastically and I won't settle for second best.

"Playing at a great club like Aberdeen comes with extra expectation levels. It takes a certain person to handle that and sometimes some individuals can only go so far as a player.

"Maybe a few have been punching above their weight, but are now being found (out] and when that happens it's time for surgery. I'm preparing for a massive turnaround and it's looking like I'll be into double figures in terms of the number of departures."

Striker Steve Lovell is expected to lead the exodus. The former Dundee player, who scored in last week's 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, has failed to break into the first team. Stuart Duff and Lee Mair are on short-term deals and could also leave the club.

Calderwood earlier admitted a top-six place was in jeopardy – and fears tomorrow's home clash with third-placed Motherwell could kill off their hopes of securing European football for a second successive season.

"We have never been out the top six since Jimmy (Nicholl] and I took over and we are very proud of that fact," he said. "We wanted to get back into Europe, but if we don't win on Wednesday that is probably well-nigh impossible, and we are making life difficult for ourselves to get in the top six."